Wichita eagle., 1887-06-25
WOMAN AND HOME.
TEACH THE BOYS TO BE HELPFUL
IN THE HOUSE.

Good Order-A Wise Wife-The Bed
room-Guests-"Sweet Twenty-Seven."
Bits of information.
Teach the boys to be helpful in the house.
Not only seeing that there is plenty Of coal in
the box, and kindling wood brought into the
house, but also that whatever repairing there
is to be done they shall do it to the best OF
their ability. Few boys are without some
idea of mechanical work, and can repair a
chair or table or put up shelf quite nicely.
There should be set Of carpenters tools in
every house, and if there are no boys in the
family very often the girls or the mother can
handle hammer or screw driver almost as
well as most men, and great deal better
than some, without taking her thumb for the
nail. as it is generally supposed she does
There are some very good mechanics among
our working housekeepers, who can hang
pictures, put up curtains or shelves equally
as we'll as their brothers or husbands, and in
many instances a great deal better. In the
matter Of picture hanging it is usually adj
mitted that most women have better Idea
and moro artistic taste in the arrangement OF
the different sizes on the wall than the ma
jority OF men, and, consequently, prefer
doing such things themselves, rather than
having to suggest how they should be done.
To be sure it is useful thing for woman to
know how to do such things, for should she
be left without a man to do her repairing, it
is a consolation for her to think that she need
not depend on a neighbor, but when the time
comes she can mend and make whatever she
needs. But she should never hang pictures
or curtains unless actually obliged to do SO.
for this work is not suitable for any woman,
and she will be sure to feel its effects when
she has forgotten all about her mechanical
labors.
Where there are boys in family such
work as the above should be theirs. With a
few suggestions from mother III regard 70
the arrangement they will soon learn to dc
this very acceptably. AL healthy boys like
to work and the kind that they prefer Is
usually something in which they can use
hammer and nails, as the use of these tools
comes rs natural to boys as the needle does
to the girls a handy boy around the house
is q great help in keeping the furniture in re-
pair. If there is shelf wanted for mothers
plants he is always delighted to make it, and
usually it is done very well and correctly.
II a skirt board is what is wanted, or bread
board, or, in fact, any Of the many articles
Of this kind SO much needed i'll the house
hold, word to the amateur carpenter init.
mating tho article needed, and in a short
time he is at work with rule, plane and saw
trying to evolve to his and the housekeeper'i
satisfaction whatever is desired Where
there is one Of these young mechanics in 8
family, the furniture is never out of repair
for he will attempt to mend almost any
thing, and, though he may not do it as vel
as man who makes his living at it, he
usually succeeds in fixing it somehow. He Is
always inventing something, and very often
this takes the shape Of a convenient and use
full article for the house.
Another kind of work that it is well tx
teach the boys to do, SO that when there is 6
necessity they will know how to do it, Is 6
little housework "Oh," some of you say
1--WE don't expect the boys to do that" Very
likely not, but it will not harm them to know
how to wash dishes or sweep the floor. II
to know how to wash dishes, SO that when thu
mother i. tired out or i'll, he can tighten bel
work a good deal by aiding her in this way
Many boys are naturally inclined to be help
full in this kind of work, and will willingly
aid mother and sister when they are working
very hard or when they are in a hurry, but
they are usually very sensitive, and are timit
of being ridiculed by their companions.
Very often grown people laugh at boy
who, with his mothers apron before him, i
helping her by washing or wiping the dishes
This is very wrong, for no person likes to bt
laughed at, and least of all is this true Of c
boy; and instead of ridiculing him, he should
be commended for bis thoughtfunesS for hi!
mothers and sisters comfort. This ridicul
ing children does a great deal Of mischief anG
should never be INDUCED in by grown people
Some boys will get along nicely while wash
ing dishes until some neighbor is announced
then they hurriedly snatch of the apron they
have before them and tuck it away out o.
sight, fearful if they are seen doing house
work that they may be called BEETLES" OF
"sissies" Many boys will not willingly dt
work Of this kind under any consideration
not because they do not want to help mother
but they have a horror of being called by
either Of the above names. They do not care
that their companions call them 50, but they
dread the ridicule Of older people.
Grown people Of this stamp are always The
most selfish OF all people. They seldom have
never think Of such a thing as trying to ease
anothers burden. They are usually the ones
that make the most fuss in the world and dc
the least good. There is no danger that they
have ever been called "betties" or 'sissieS,
for they never forget themselves long enough
to help anybody; possibly if they had they
would be more competent to form an opinion
in regard to the helpfulness OF boys in the
house. Boys who are thoughtful Of their
mothers er sisters in this respect may be
trusted TO be thoughtful of everybody, even
of the poorest. Few betty" boys are a wor.
riment to their parents, for very few ever &C
wrong Boston Br3Get
The present age viii be curiously marked
IN history rs period when dress and beauty
came prominently to the front The liter
AZURE Of dress during the last ten years, il
collected, would form an imposing collection
The beauty craze has revolutionized society
Among its consequences may be noted the
fact that girls have gone out Of fashion
Twenty-seven is the correct age Just now
3Sweet seventeen is hopelessly deruodee
The result is a vast increase in the amount
Of hypocrisy practiced in society. No girl
ever wanted to step at II, even when it was
most in favor But every woman now re-
mains . until even her own familiar looking
glass begins to speak in the odious language
of perfect candor.-Chicago Tribune.
The Woman Who Laughs.
For a good, every day household angel
give US the woman who laughs Eer biscrIits